Children and young people enter care because they are at risk of harm or neglect or because their parent or carer needs periodic relief. It is a very serious decision to place a child away from home. If your child is in care, find out more about your rights and how the process works.

Foster care could be short term or long term — for one or two nights, a few weeks or months, or even years. Read more about types of foster care.

One of our main goals is for contact to be maintained between all children and young people in care and their birth family. Foster carers are often in contact with the parents of the child in care, and all are involved in decisions and planning.